Hemp 101 Re-Cap

Hempire and The Nug Nation teamed up to produce "Hemp 101," a stop-motion animated short-form social media series focusing on Hemp education, with a comical twist. The host of the show is an anamorphic "Joint Teacher," giving educational lessons in a classroom setting. Social media influence and cannabis aficionado Izzy Blazee lends her voice as the teacher.

For their part, Hempire is optimistic about the shows' potential. "Hempire is a sustainable smoke connoisseur lifestyle brand with the ambition of becoming the preferred hemp alternative in the dispensary and smoke shop channels. The Nug Nation has been identified as a strategic partner to develop unique and engaging online content that speaks to our adult consumers. We are very excited to have The Nug Nation team on our side as we continue to grow our business nationwide." said Nicolas Pettersson, – Hempire Brand Manager at Swisher International.

The show made its debut in April 2020, and in Episode 1, Izzy explains the fundamental basics of what hemp is and almost as important, what it is not. Hemp is a term commonly used to classify varieties of cannabis that contain 0.3% or less of THC content. Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants in the Cannabaceae family, which consists of three primary species. While the legal definition of hemp was legitimized when the Agricultural Act of 2018 was passed, hemp is typically used to describe non-intoxicating cannabis that is harvested primarily for its industrial uses, of which there are many.

In the second installment of the series, Ms. Blazee explores the difference between hemp and marijuana. As varieties of the same plant species, hemp and marijuana share many similarities and even appear precisely alike. The defining distinction between hemp and marijuana is the chemical composition within each plant. Both hemp and marijuana can deliver high amounts of CBD, the non-intoxicating cannabis compound that some believe has healing properties; however, THC is produced at very different levels. While hemp can contain no more than 0.3% THC marijuana can contain up to 30% THC content highlighting the importance of understanding their fundamental differences.

Episode 3 of Hemp 101 focuses on common industrial uses for hemp. Hemp has been used for industrial and commercial purposes for at least 10,000 years. Hemp can be used to produce robust, durable, and environmentally- friendly consumer and business products, and has been used in over 25,000 products worldwide. Hemp has been used to create textiles, food, fuel, biodegradable plastics, milk, paper, shoes, clothing, building supplies, cosmetics and beauty products, and pet food, to name a few.

And while many innovative products are being made from hemp, Episode 4 of Hemp 101 focuses on where the plant originates from. Hemp originated in Central Asia; remnants of hemp cord were found in pottery during an archeological dig in modern-day Taiwan dating back 10,000 years. Discovering hemp use and cultivation in this date range puts it as one of the first and oldest known human agriculture crops. Hemp cultivation for fiber was recorded in China as early as 2800 BCE. It found its way to South America in the 1500s and a century later migrated to North America, where it was eventually a mandated crop for settlers in the new world.

Finally, Episode 5 of the series examines laws concerning hemp. Hemp is presently federally legal in the US since the passing of the 2014 Farm Bill, which created pilot programs for farmers to grow hemp legally in conjunction with state-run agricultural programs. The confusion over the legal status of hemp has to do with THC, which is the psychoactive compound in cannabis. Hemp, by distinction, contains less than 0.3% of THC and, as such is legal under federal law. And while the house recently passed a bill to remove marijuana from its current schedule 1 drug classification under the Controlled Substances Act, it nevertheless remains illegal, classified with other drugs having no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.